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About our testing:
Our testing rig uses the same hardware and software employed by headphone manufacturers. The hardware, HATS (head and torso simulator) lets us get results that more closely resemble what users will actually experience. The software is SoundCheck by Listen Inc., which is an electroacoustic analysis program that lets us run the exact same battery of tests on all headphones we review. For more information on our tests, read this article.
Frequency Response (3.32) 
How the test works:
To perform this test we first outfit HATS with the headphones. We then play a series of frequencies through the headphones, from 20kHz down to 100Hz, at an equal decibel level. We then plug in the headphones and see how they emphasize each frequency. The left channel is the green line, the right channel is the red line, and the dotted lines represent the limits of the scoring area. Outside of the scoring range, the data isn't 100% accurate, but it can be used to get a general sense of how the headphones will perform.
What we found:
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 headphones didn't have the best frequency response score. As you can see, the bass is a bit over-emphasized. While listening, we found the bass often came close to sounding muddy, but never quite got there. Also, it looks like there's another significant peak around 7kHz, which is the attack (the initial sound of impact) of most drums. While we didn't particularly mind this boost, we can see how some would think the drums sound a bit too loud. After the 7kHz range, the graph drops off sharply, only to hike back up again in the 15kHz range, which should give a boost to cymbals.
How the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 compares:
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 headphones certainly can't be accused of having a flat response curve. Unlike many of the other headphones below, the over-emphasized frequencies seem to be deliberate. That being said, the boosts are a bit over-zealous. We tend to favor a flat response curve, since it provides listeners with the closest representation of their music (it also doesn't assume the type of music you prefer listening to). If you like drums & bass music, the ATH-ANC3 headphones are good headphones for you.
If you want a flatter response, check out the 6isolators, which had a good score for a pair of in-ears. The Sennheiser MM 50 iPs feature a similar response curve to the ATH-ANC3 headphones, but don't emphasize the 7kHz range as much.
Distortion (1.77)
How the test works:
To test distortion, we again play a series of frequences through the headphones and have HATS listen. Each frequency in the series, which ranges from 100Hz to 10kHz, is played back at a known decibel level. The below graph measures the gross difference between the ideal frequency that was played through the headphones and what HATS actually ended up hearing. The green line is the left channel, the red line is the right channel, and the Y-axis represents the the distortion as a percentage. Anything over 3% distortion is very noticeable.
What we found:
Bearing in mind that anything above 3% is noticeable, and that many good headphones hover very close to the zero line, it's clear the ATH-ANC3 headphones have a bit of a distortion problem. The majority of distortion is present for frequencies above the 1kHz mark. Given the over-emphasized bass, we're surprised to see the lower end is home to the lowest distortion levels.
This isnt' necessarily surprising; out of all the headphones we've tested, active-cancellers have a disproportionately higher chance of having issues with distortion. This makes sense when you consider that active cancellation works by playing back sound that has nothing to do with the music. Active cancellation can do a lot of things to mess with how your music sounds.
Being the curious cats we are, we also tested the ATH-ANC3 headphones with their active cancellation turned off. While there's significantly less distortion, there's still more than we typically see.
How the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 compares:
Given its poor performance, it's evident the ATH-ANC3 headphones don't compare well on this test. The Sennheiser MM 50 iP headphones are almost immaculate when it comes to distortion, and is currently the site leader on low distortion. Other active noise cancellers, like the Bose QC2 and Aurvana X-Fi headphones also had good distortion scores.
Tracking (7.87)
How the test works:
To test tracking, we again play a frequency sweep through the headphones. This time we're examining how loud each channel is. Perfect tracking would mean both channels are playing exactly the same frequency. On the below graph, anything above the zero line means the left channel is playing louder than the right; if the line dips below zero, the right channel is louder.
What we found:
The ATH-ANC3 headphones had pretty good tracking. As you can see, other than a few dips and peaks in the mid that are on the magnitude of a few decibels each, the line stays reasonably straight the entire time. Towards the end the graph gets a bit jagged, which is typical. Overall, the ATH-ANC3s are well balanced, but not perfect.
How the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 compares:
The ATH-ANC3 headphones scored in the middle of the pack here, but they're still in good shape in terms of usability. If you're looking for really top-of-the-line tracking, the 6isolators are about as close to balanced as you can get.
Maximum Usable Volume (8.33)
How the test works:
To test the maximum usable volume, we perform our distortion test at increasing levels. As volume increases, so does distortion. What we're looking for is the maximum volume we can achieve while keeping distortion under 3%, the level at which it becomes irritatingly noticeable.
What we found:
We were able to squeeze 113dB from the ATH-ANC3 headphones before the sound became a questionable quality. This is a fine output level. We typically award maximum points to headphones capable of 120 dB, but any more than that is overkill unless you have/want a hearing problem.
Isolation (4.68)
How the test works:
To test isolation, we blast the headphones with pink noise, which sounds a lot like airplane ambience. Pink noise is where all frequencies are being played at an equal energy level, meaning higher frequencies are played at a lower decibel level than lower frequencies.
What we found:
We found that flipping noise cancellation on and off doesn't make a significant difference in the amount of sound blocked out. The place where you'll see the biggest improvement is with lower frequencies, with no real noticeable difference towards the high end.
How the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 compares:
The ATH-ANC3 headphones actually did worse on isolation that the other comparison headphones. Judging from our test results so far, active noise cancellation is great for over-ear or on-ear headphones. Active cancellation is inferior, however, to a good set of in-ears. Apparently the best way to block out noise at the moment is by plugging your ears.
It seems that, by employing active cancellation, the ATH-ANC3s have sacrificed some of the isolation that comes from solidly plugging up the ear. If you're looking for good active cancellation, stick to over-ear headphones with non-cloth ear cup pads. The non-cloth cup pads will provide a good seal with your head, provide a larger sound stage, and the active cancellation will often have a significant impact. If you're looking for the best isolation possible, go for in-ears with multi-flanged sleeves (triple-flanged will have the silhouette of a Christmas tree).
Leakage (4.62)
How the test works:
Our leakage test measure the amount of sound that escapes from the headphones to permeate the air around you. What we do is fit the headphones in HATS, then play back pink noise through the headphones. We place a microphone a set distance away from HATS to pick up any noise that's leaking out. As with all our tests, if you want to learn more about our procedures, click the orange info button to the right of the section title.
What we found:
The ATH-ANC3 headphones aren't the best headphones for keeping your music to yourself. They actually scored lower than the other in-ears we've reviewed, but above the typical pair of on-ears or over-ears. They aren't terrible at controlling leakage, however. If you were sitting next to someone on a bus or train, chances are the ambience will drown out most of the playback that does escape. If you're in a quiet place like a library or museum, chances are you'll be leaking more sound than you'd like.
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